Prepare for Funding: Develop Emergency Procurement Policies and Procedures for Drinking Water or Wastewater Utilities
- Establish procurement policies and procedures
- Examples of emergency procurement policies and procedures
Establish Procurement Policies and Procedures
Establish emergency procurement, purchasing policies, and procedures prior to an emergency. This will ensure your contractor costs are reasonable and well-documented.
- Management
- Procurement and accounting staff
- Emergency management and operations personnel
- Define when emergency procurement is necessary
- Include pre-approved contracts for emergency services and materials
- Specify situations when non-competitive procurement is acceptable
- Identify who has authority to approve certain amounts or types of procurement arrangements
Examples of Emergency Procurement Policies and Procedures
Example: East Bay Municipal Utility District Policy and Procedures
Policy 7.03 (Excerpts related to costs): Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity
"When an emergency condition arises that necessitates immediate action to minimize damage and inconvenience resulting from such condition, the General Manager or successor, in consultation with the President of the Board of Directors, or successor, is authorized to enter into emergency contracts not to exceed $350,000, per contract, without bids or notice."
Example: Valley Center Water District Emergency Procurement Procedure
In an emergency, we give our general manager the power to, "Enter into contracts and/or agreements and to expend funds on behalf of the District, provided that such expenditures or contracts do not exceed, in total, $500,000.00." He or she is to try to contact the board president or other board member for prior approval if possible.